The Ministry of Commerce held a March 30 workshop to disseminate and promote the National Cassava Policy 2020-25 in Pailin province, with the government ready to lay out key national strategies for the next term to promote and support the agricultural sector.

Deputy Pailin governor Un Bunly said cassava is a potential agro-industrial crop, along with red corn, mangoes and Pailin longans.

He briefed the workshop participants on the three main goals set out in the policy. These goals include transition from traditional or family cassava production to commercial operations, attracting investment to establish processing plants, and promoting trade competitiveness through market penetration, according to the ministry.

Sok Sathim, director of the provincial Department of Commerce, said that in 2022, CP Cambodia Co Ltd signed a contract to buy raw materials from the province’s Cassava Exporters Association.

He added that the company ordered 60,000 tonnes of red corn and 100,000 tonnes of dried cassava, which was processed into animal feed to supply the local market.

Ministry secretary of state Reach Ra said that in order to guarantee progress, consistency and success of the implementation of this policy framework, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms would be established.

“The commerce ministry will act as a facilitator for these mechanisms,” he said.